Apparatus for forming and annealing combination curved and straight glass



May 9, 1944. E R. BQYLES ETA'. 2,348,279

APPARATUS FOR ORMING AND ANNEALING COMBINATION CURVED AND STRAIGHT GLASS Filed Dec. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 9, 1944- E. R. BoYLEs ETAL 2,348,279 APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND ANNEALING COMBINATION CURVED AND STRAIGHT GLASS Filed Dec. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1NvENToR.s. (2mn-Naf f7. arr/50N.

- .PatentedMaya 1944 l APPARATUS FOR FORMING :AND AN-- l NEALING COMBINATION CURVED AND STRAIGHT GLASS Edgar R. Boyles and Clarence M. Pattison,

` Hartford City, Ind., assignors to The Johnston Glass Co. Inc., Hartford City,` Ind., acorporatlon Application December 26, 1940, serial No. 371,703y

Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for bending sheet glass for a varietyof uses.

The apparatus may be utilized for the bending -of single sheets of glass or the simultaneous bending of a plurality of sheets of glass when curved laminated glass structures are to be fabricated.

4The present invention contemplates the formation of bent sheet glass which is capable of utilization with thin rsheets of glass with the same facility as heavier sheets of glass.

The present invention also lends itself to the expeditious and continuous production of bent glass which is not burned, is absolutely true to mold contour and retains the origina1 high polish.

The molds utilized in the present invention are of such a character that they heat up approximately at the same rate as the glass and they cool off at substantially the same rate and one suitable form of mold is a sheet metal mold.

The molds, as stated, preferably are of thin sheet metal tempered to withstand heating to a temperature sufficient to soften sheet glass. Temperatures sullicient to soften sheet glass vary from aboutI 1,000 F. to 1,500 F., the operating range being approximately' between 1,050 F. and 1,400 F. The thickness of the sheet and the kind of glass determines the softening point of that glass.

The glass and mold are gradually subjected to increasing temperatures. 'I'he rate of heating is suitably controlled so that the mold and glass are gradually brought up to a temperature known as the softening temperature of that glass. When the glass has reached this temperature, it bends by its own weight and that of a part of the mold and takes the shape of the metal mold in its final position. Immediately after assuming that nal shape, the mold and bent glass continue to move into zones of progressively cooler temperatures until the time that the mold and glass are cool enough to handle without the use of tools.

The cooling period, of necessity, is of such duration that the glass in cooling will not have set up therein strains well known in the industry. In other words, the glass when it is cool has been annealed. g

In order to retainthe high polish in sheet glass, known as window glass, and in order to prevent burning of the surface, it is important that the temperature control be such that the glass and mold immediately start to cool after the glass has been softened land has conformed to the final moldV form. Y

In the bending or curving of a plurality of sheets of glass, the following precautions are to be observed: 'Ilieseveral sheets of glass are cleaned so that said sheets contain no dirt or fine particles or anything else which would mar the surface of that sheet'V or perhaps cause the sheets to adhere tor each other. Then the two or more sheets of glass which are perfectly clean, are placed on the mold and subjected to heat 'and subject to the controls andrcautions previously described.

The resulting product is two or more glass sheets simultaneously bent and annealed to mold conformation, each having two highly Polished surfaces and each being of non-adhering character so that the glass may be removed therefrom and readily separated for the inclusion or insertion o f plastic material, for the subsequent formation of safety glass, subject, however, to the `fact thatthe safety glass will be of curved character conforming to the nal mold position and with the further distinctive characteristic that the two adjacent surfaces lof two simultaneously bent or curved sheets of glass are substantially complementary'so that all parts of the surface of one have the same shape as the adjacent surface of the other, one being 01' convex character and the other being of concave character, thus producing in the finished product a s afety glass which, when associated with a film of uniform thickness, is in intimate contact with the latter throughout the confronting surfaces.

The mold of the present invention is of articulated character and the at sheet of glass, when applied to the mold, sustains a movable portion thereof until such time as the glass softens sufficient to bend, whereupon the glass sustained portion of the mold and that' associated portion of the glass sheet, incident to gravity thereon, move to final position. The articulated mold may, whenever necessary or desirable, be of detachable character to permit, when required, or facilitate, when desired, bent glass removal from the mold.

From the foregoing, therefore, it will beobserved that the present apparatus is one which produces ware peculiarly applicable to bent or curved glass suitable for laminated or safety glass purposes, as well as bent or curved ware of single ply character.

By way of illustration, apparatus suitable for bending glass now will be described.

It has been ascertained that in the bending.

of a sheet of nat glass or the simultaneous bending of a plurality of sheets of ilat glass wherein only a portion of the glass is to be bent and th'e remainder is to retain its original ilatness, that the ilat glass portion, or portions, usually is in contact with the mold surface long enough to cause objectionable pitting or burning." Such defects especially are objectionable in instances where the glass is intended for use in aeroplanes, lenses and the like. l i

The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, represent two embodiments of the same invention which include mold structures of openwork character and wherein the glass is heat shielded. l

Reference will now be had more particularly to Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, wherein there is illustrated an articulated, open-work mold structure, although the invention basically vdisclosed herein is not necessarily restricted to an open-work form of the invention.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, I0 indicates a pair of uprights which are connected together at their lower ends by the cross member I I. Another pair of uprights I2 of lesser height and spaced approximately the same distance apart as the uprights I0, are connected together by the base portion I3. The upper ends of the uprights I2 are inwardly directed as at- I4. To the same is secured an angle member I5 which has secured to it at each end, the lower ends of two confronting channels having the upper flanges I6, midportions I1 and opposite flange IB. To the upper ends of the uprights III is secured the angle member I3, the samebeing positioned oppositely with relation to the angle member` I5.

as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. The upper ends of the confronting channel members are suitably `secured to the upper face vof the angle memltubular shield 23, preferably of asbestos material or the like.` Extending upwardly from the midportion, for example, of the cross member er base II is a threaded member 24 upon which is mounted wing nut 25. A curved member 26 vhaving an elongated slot 2l is adjustably secured by the wing nut 25 so that the angular end 28 serves as an adjustable stop for a purpose hereinafter to be described.' The threaded member 24 rides in the `slot 21 permitting the aforesaid adjustment.

Another open frame structure lincludes a pair of confronting channels having the two flange vportions 28 and' the opposite flange portions 3l.

The midportion is indicated by the numeral 3l. An angle member 32 is suitably secured to the lower ends of these channels and maintains the same in spaced relation at the same distance apartas the channels first described are maintained. Another angle member 33, similarly secured to the upper ends of the second-mentioned channel members, secures the upper ends thereof in the same spaced relation.

Extending from each of the second-mentioned channel members and in suitably offset relation are the bars 34, the upper ends of which are notched as at 35 and said notches terminate in semi-circular bearing portions 36.

It will be obvious, see Figs. 1 and 2, that the mold structure, represented by the two angle members 32, 33, and the two second-mentioned lchannel members, may be readily elevated and lower flanges I8 of the first-mentioned channel members is a sheet of heat resisting material. This can be of metal, but preferably is of asbestos millboard type and is indicated by the numeral 31. It forms a support for the glass sheet indicated by the letter A. Thereabove, it will be noted, is provided another sheet of heat shielding material indicated by the numeral 38.

These sheets bear against the stop I5 at their lower ends and the lower end of the sheet A also bears against this stop. It, of course, is to be understood that instead of a single lsheet of glass two or more sheets may be `positioned in contact, as well as a single sheetand the amount and number of sheets is only determined by the thickness of the heat shielding sheets and the glass heated sheets and the width of the groove in the first-mentioned channels. For simplicity, o

' in Figs. 1 and 2 is elevated into the dotted line position as shown in Fis. `2. Thereupon, a sheet of glass is slipped into the movable mold portion and is slid downwardly until it reaches the upper end lof the relatively stationary mold portion. Then rit is fed in between the two asbestos sheets 31 and 33 and slid downwardly until it engages the stop I5. The two asbestos sheets 39 and 40 are then inserted in the confronting channels of the movable mold portion above and below the elevated glass sheet and then the mold with the glass sheet or sheets in initial position is subjected to heat.

Initially, the glass sheet supports the movable mold portion in elevated relation and constitutes the lsole means for supporting the same. As the mold and glass are gradually subjected to greater 75 heat, the fiat portions of the glass naturally are protected by the heat shielding means described. i

When the temperature reaches glass softening temperature, the weight of the movable mold and the iiat glass portion designated by the letter B.

gradually bends the glass portion C adjacent the asbestos sleeve 23 'and above the same and the movable mold with the heat shields andthe glass portion B gradually swings downwardlyl until the member 32 engages the upwardly extending'portion or stop 28, when further swinging movement or lowering movement is prevented.

Note the movable mold is supported by the pivots. It will be quite evident that the bend of the glass willvalways be of predetermined character.

This bend is indicated by the letter C. The at portion A will be of predetermined length in all instances and since the bend C `occurs at a predetermined point in the ilat sheet, the portion B also will be of predetermined length. All sheetsv fabricated on this particular mold for any given stop adjustment will be alike. When two' or more sheets are simultaneously bent, they will be bent` alike and will have complementary surfaces, as the term is used herein.

When the glass has suiciently softened at the portion C to permit the lowering of the movable mold portion into contact with the adjustable stop, the temperature is gradually reduced to ccd1 the glass and the mold and to simultaneously annealfthe glass so that by the time the bent 3 member 58 connects the right-hand upright angle members 5I at their upper ends and also is connected to the two angles 52-53. The lower ends of the two right-hand upright members 5| are connected by thetransverse member 51. Each of these members 55 and 5,1, centrally but slightly oilset from each other, is provided with an upwardly extending threaded member 58, with which is associated the wing nut 59.

A curved 'member 50, provided with a longitudinal slot 5| in. which rides-thethreaded member 58, is secured in adiusted'position by the wing nut. 59 andthe outer angularly directed I end 62 of the member 60 serves as a stop. Ex-

glass in the mold and the mold are cooled, they may be manually removed the use of any tools.

After being removed, the hinge connection is disconnected and the movable mold portion with its shield means and the glass are moved upwithout discomfort or wardly and outwardly away from the stationary I portion of the mold structure, thus sliding outwardly from the latter the at glass portion A. When this is fully freed from the stationary mold portion, the movable mold portion may bev slid downwardly on the glass portion B or the glass may be elevated to free it from the movable mold portion. rIfhereafter, the movable mold portion is re-associated in hinged relation with the stationary mold portion and a new nat sheet applied to the mold structure as previously de scribed, whereupon the parts of the moldstructure and the glass sheet again are in the position illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2..

Y Another embodiment of the invention is illus- -trated in Fig. 3' and herein substantially the same basic disclosuresfound in Figs. 1 and 2 are tending outwardly from each opposite end of the angles 52-53 is a bar `63 and each pair oi' bars supports rod 54, the 'ends of which project laterally beyond said bars 53. Enveloping said rods 64 between the bars`63 may be, if desired, a tubular heat shielding member, such as illustrated at 23 in Fig. 2. Herein same ls omitted for clearness. y

Since each movable mold portion inthe present embodiment is substantially identical to the' movable mold portion shown in Figs. land 2, no furtherl description thereof is believed necessary. except to designateA the same by the numerals 'I0 and`1l, the mold portion 10 having the cross member 'l2 and the mold portion 'H having the cross member 13, these being adapted .to engage the upright portions 62 of the adjustable stop structures.

Each of these mold portions 10 and 'Il includes r at its upper or inner end, bar portions 14, the

same carrying rods 64, barportion 63 being vertically notched as at 15 similarto thenotched arrangement shown at 35 and 36 in Fig. l1,` but the I direction of the lnotching herein being diilerently or like material 80 constituting a heat shield and resting on the two inwardly directed anges of the U angles 52-53.

A fiat glass sheet is rst provided at opposite t f ends with the two movable mold portions with the incorporated. In this form of the invention, the

mold structure is of dual articulated character. In other Words, there are two hingedly or pivotally mounted movable mold sections and an'intermediate stationary mold section. Each of these is of open-work character and with each there is employed heat shielding means.

Briefly, this structure is as follows: v

A pair of angle members 50 have suitably secured thereto in spaced relation the spaced upright angle members 5l. These spaced upright angle members are connected at their upper portions by two confronting angle members, the base portions being indicated by the numeral 52 and the upwardly directed side portions or flanges by the numeral 53. The two left-hand uprights 5|, are suitably connected together by the angle member 54. To the same is also connected the upper angles 52-53, previously described.

The lower ends of the two left-hand upright angle members 5i are connected by the transverse angle member 55. VIn like manner, angle A sition illustrated by Another method of initial application is vto mount on the stationary mold portion asheet ofv heat shielding means included and then the two spaced movable mold -portions with the glass are f lowered on to the stationary mold portion and Y' the movable mold pivotal connections are effected. The glass and mold the dotted lines vin Flg.,3.

glass indicated by the letter G. `'Ihen from each end there is applied the movable mold portion, together with the heat shielding means. When they have been applied, the pivotal connections are effected. If desired, following the positioning o'fthe parts as shown dotted in Fig. 3, there may be applied to the top of the glass surface supported by the' stationary mold portion a heat shield designatedby the numeral 90. This may be omitted if desired.

The open work character and h'eat shielding character each have certain advantages, allof which have been previously mentioned hereinbefore with reference to the tion shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

After the movable and separable moldsare associated as shown by dotted lines in Flg.3 with the stationary mold portion, the combination arportions are then in the poform of the lnvenv ticulated mold with the glass sheet or sheets are gradually subjectedv until glass softening temperature is attained. When that is attained, the weight'of the movable mold portion supported glass and the movable Y mold portions is such that the glass bends coto increasing temperature andere ment against the constraint, andA means coaxial with the pivotally supporting means for the second frame for glass sheet support between the frames, the glass upon softening adjacent said means bending about the same and permitting second frame pivoting by its constraint for bent glass sheet formation, removal thereof from the frames requiring the detachment of the detachable frame from the base.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim l wherein each grooved frame only supports the sheet at its 90 is removed and then the entire channel glassV member may be elevated and removed.

Following this, another glass sheet mayy bev similarly applied tothe stationary and movable mold portions, as previously described.

` Of course, the tubular (cylindrical) shield at the pivotal axis may be replaced by any other conformation desired when a true radius bend is not desired.

` Whenever necessaryv or desirable, there may be added to the movable mold portion an additional :weight to facilitate bending of the glass. Also,

springs'may be used in lieu thereof whenever the nature of the article requires an upward bend. In

this event, the springs must be of such materialla that they function under the extreme temperature conditions to which they would be subjected; While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail inthe foregoing description, the same is .to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein, as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, are all considered to be within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

VThe invention claimed is:

1. Mold apparatus forvbending glass sheets including a stationary base, a groovedJrame carried thereby and adapted for glass sheet reception and. support, a second grooved frame normally constrained to movement in a predetermined direction, means pivotally supporting the second frame upc-n the base in spaced relation to the first frame, one of the frames being detachably con-A nected to the base and adapted for groove reception of the glass sheet, the two frames havingcoplanar alignment when a glass sheet is simultaneously included therein, the second frame being sustained by the glass sheet in said alignedgesand includes heat insulation means for heat shielding of theglass sheet portion immediately supported by the frame and by said insulation means for prevention of sheet bulging or sagging of the shielded portions of the sheet in the softening of the glass shfy et between' the shielding means of the frames.

3. Mold apparatus for bending glass sheets including a stationary base, a grooved frame rigid therewith, other grooved frames; one at each end of the former, each being pivotally and detachably connected to said base and normally constrained to movement in n predetermined direction, means pivotally and detachably supporting each constrained frame upon the base in spaced relation to the ilrst frame, the three frames having coplanar alignment whenv a glass sheet is -simultaneously included therein, each detachably and pivotally mounted frame whensheet associated being sustained by the sheet in the coplaner alignment against the constraint, and means coaxial with each pivotally supporting means for the pivoted frames for sheet support between the successive framesthe glass upon softening adjacent said means bending about the same and permitting tiltable frame pivoting by its constraint for bent glass sheet formation, removal thereof from the framesrequiring detachment oi the detachable frames from the base.

4. Apparatus as defined by claim 3 wherein each 

